Cook Islands Cabinet

Legislative basis

Unlike other Commonwealth Realms, the Cook Islands Cabinet has a formal legislative basis in the Cook Islands Constitution. Cabinet consists of the Prime Minister and up to six other ministers. The Constitution as originally enacted allowed for between three and five cabinet ministers. The Constitution was amended in 1970 to allow up to six cabinet ministers besides the prime minister, in 1991 to between six and eight ministers, and most recently in 1999 again restricted to no more than six. The 1999 had also specified that while five ministers would be appointed from members of parliament, any sixth minister would have to be appointed from someone outside parliament. In 2026, the Constitution was again amended to require all six potential ministers to be appointed from within parliament.